1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flexible, weather resistant, buoyant foam boat bumper/fender that is inexpensive, and easy to use.
The present invention further relates to a flexible, weather resistant, buoyant polyethylene foam boat bumper/fender that is inexpensive and easy to use.
The present invention further relates to a durable weather resistant inexpensive boat bumper/fender that does not require captured air within an inner chamber for its ability to protect boats or other articles from damage due to incidental contact with stationary or other members.
2. Description of the Related Art
Green, U.S. Pat. No. 4,584,958 discloses a bumper for protecting the hull of a boat comprising a plurality of one-piece bumper bodies of resilient deformable material positioned end-to-end. Each of these bodies has a curved portion with a periphery forming a partial cylinder extending through an arc exceeding 180 degrees and a socket portion having a semi-cylindrical cavity with a radius equal to the radius of the partial cylinder. Preferably the curved periphery of the partial cylinder extends through 270 degrees so that the bumper can bend around a 90 degree comer of the boat. Each body has a passage extending lengthwise through both the curved portion and the socket portion. A rope passes through all the passages to connect the bodies together and form a complete bumper. The bodies are positioned on the rope with the curved portion positioned in the socket portion of the adjoining bumper body. Preferably a rope cleat is used to fix the bumper bodies against displacement relative to the rope. The bumper body can be hollow or can be filled with a low density polyethylene.
Green differs from the claimed invention in that Green requires a hollow body that may be filled with low density polyethylene foam. The present invention is directed to a boat bumper that is formed of a UV resistant, marine resistant foam material. On material useful in the claimed invention is polyethylene foam. However the foam of the claimed invention is a closed cell polyethylene foam material. There is no showing the low density polyethylene foam of Green may be the dense, closed cell material useful in the claimed invention. Further, there is no teaching of using the polyethylene material of Green as the body of the boat bumper. Accordingly, Green differs from the claimed invention.
Stevens, U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,471 discloses a resilient marine fender for protecting a boat from damage resulting from impact against a boat dock, piling or other marine structure includes a fender body having an elongate bumper portion on one side of sufficient resiliency to cushion normal impact of the boat and mounting surface on the opposite side thereof of sufficiently frictional character with respect to the piling for generally non-slipping engagement therewith. The bumpers are formed of a material suitably resilient to deform when, for example, a boat or other marine vessel engages against the portions such as the result of marine wave action, in order to absorb the impact forces of the vessel and prevent direct contact between an elongate piling and the boat which could scratch, mar or even structurally damage the vessel. Preferably, each elongate resilient portion is a solid body of a high-density resilient plastic foam, formed for example by molding. There is no showing in Steven of using a high density, closed cell deformable resilient foam material, such as polypropylene, as the bumper fender.
Reinhardt, U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,074 discloses a bumper for a boat dock is provided which is durable, resilient and visible at night. The bumper is constructed of an expanded polymer such as polyethylene or polypropylene. The bumper is preferably made of translucent polyethylene foam with a density of between 2 and 4 pounds per cubic foot. When polyethylene foam is subjected to impact, it absorbs the force of the impact and returns to its original shape. The present invention includes a light for illumination of the bumper itself or illumination of an area immediately adjacent the bumper. A slot in the bumper is provided for accepting the illumination source. If the bumper is translucent, as with white polyethylene foam, the illumination source may be inserted into the back of the bumper such that light is emitted through the front of the bumper. If the bumper is opaque, the illumination source may be inserted into a slot in the bottom of the bumper so that the light is emitted from the bottom of the bumper. The illumination source may be controlled by a radio frequency switch or by a timer. There is no showing of using the foam material of the claimed invention in combination with bushings and an attachment means to make a simple yet effective boat bumper/fender.
The present invention is directed to a boat bumper/fender comprising a resilient, flexible weather resistant, buoyant body equipped with opposing first end and second end. The body has length, width and height, and is of greater length than width. The body has an internal passage extending substantially the entire length of said body and terminating at the first and second ends. Bushing means at either end are adapted to be inserted into said first and second end of said body, and anchoring means extend through the body in said passage and beyond the ends of said body. The anchoring means is further equipped with stop means to cooperatively interact with said bushing to limit movement of the body along said anchoring means. The anchoring means terminate at each end with a securing means to facilitate fastening the anchoring means to a mooring, such as a dock.
Preferably, the boat bumper/fender is tubular and the anchoring means is a length of marine rope threaded through said passage. The stop means is a plate secured to said anchoring means and of sufficient size to interact with said bushing and prevent movement of the body along said anchoring means. The bushing further comprises means to secure each said bushing in said ends and resist removal.
Most preferably, the boat bumper/fender body is comprised of a polyethylene foam material having the formula: 
wherein R is an alkyl, and
n is a number such that the molecular weight of the composition is in the range of about 11,000 to about 196,000.
This material is commercially available from Industrial Thermo Polymers, Limited, located Brampton, Ontario, Canada, under the trademark Tundra Foam Logs. This material is resistant to UV light, as well as other weather conditions and is buoyant, having previously been used as flotation devices for aquatic use. Typically, this material presents a closed cell structure that is flexible and deformable without damage to its structure. Other similar materials that may be used are closed cell foams of polypropylene, polybutylene, or other dense closed cell foam materials.
The anchoring means is a marine resistant rope and the stop means is comprised of a knot in said rope to cooperatively engage a washer threaded onto the rope between the knot and each bushing to prevent movement of the body along the anchoring means.